


Wintertime memories

by XenCrow (DaintyCrow)



Category: House M.D.
Genre: Advent Calendar, F/M, Family, Fluff, Friendship, One Shot Collection, Translation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-29
Updated: 2015-12-24
Packaged: 2018-05-03 23:28:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5311157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaintyCrow/pseuds/XenCrow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if House had had someone before he had Stacy? And what if someone from this life would show up now?</p><p>“Do you like House?”<br/>Jessica was a little surprised about this question and she turned her head back to her counterpart before she opened her eyes again. “Why do you want to know that? I mean, what gives you that idea?”<br/>[…]<br/>“So … he's a nice guy?”<br/>It was a serious question, but Jessica couldn't suppress a laugh. “That's open to dispute. Actually, it's fairly good open to dispute,” she repeated.</p><p>Every advent and at Christmas I'll load up a One Shot.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Deal

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [Wintererinnerung](https://archiveofourown.org/works/5311106) by [DaintyCrow](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaintyCrow/pseuds/DaintyCrow). 



> This is a translation from one of my German stories into English. And I'd be glad to hear what you think about it. And because English isn't my mother tongue I'd be glad about tips as well. This is just an experiment if I'm able to write/translate into English too. And even if it's not my first translation, it's the first longer one, so I'd be happy about anything you give me :)
> 
> Well … in the original story, I called my OC Petrice, but it felt a little strange to call her 'Pet' in the English translation, so I changed it into Patrice and 'Pat' (won't have any effects on the story, because she isn't even called this name often, but I wanted to say anyway).

With a loud bang, she slammed the door of her car, from which she had risen just a second ago, and glanced across the street to the opposite side. The Princeton-Plainsboro-Teaching-Hospital. She hadn't been here in a while. And actually she was also much too soon; her real appointment was, after all, not until a month.  
She let run her eyes over the building again, while she locked her car by pressing a button on her keys. Snow covered the edges of the short path, that led to the hospital, as well as it covered the window sills, the roof and the small stunted tree, that stood in front of the glazed entrance doors.  
Usually she liked the snow. No, that would be an understatement. She **loved** the snow. But now? Fat chance. Not if there was a possibility, that he wouldn't allow her to find shelter at his apartment for the following weeks. But then: why would he have an objection against it? They had already lived together in the past, and back then it hadn't bothered him to have her around. Or at least he hadn't shown, if it should have been like that. And usually he always said what he thought, so why should he have handled it different with her at that time?

The white clouds, that were formed by her breath, and the slowly growing cold in her fingertips reminded her, that she was still standing outside in the cold and hadn't moved one centimeter. Although she was wearing her lined coat – and that really just to keep herself warm, because she actually didn't even suffer the garment – and she also wore gloves and a scarf, she realized that, despite of the only a few minutes she stood here, she was already totally frozen.  
Muttering a few silent curses, she slowly made her way to the entrance of the hospital; always careful not to slip – or even fall – on the slick, snowy surfaces.  
Just before she pushed open the large glass doors, she turned back to the car. At last there was no going back now, even if there actually already wasn't a going back since she had left her apartment, in order to come over here to New Jersey.  
She sighed and shook her head, finally opened the door to the entrance area. The heat of the hospital came her way, as if it already had been waiting all the time for her to show up. Smiling about her own thought she at last stepped inside.  
While she removed the gloves from her hands and gently blew over her fingertips, to warm them, she looked briefly around in the large, merrily, festive decorated reception hall: Everywhere there were golden and silver tinsel tapes and in each of the four corners of the room there were a little Christmas Tree with red and golden yellow baubles and colored fairy lights. Also you could find a few bowls of candy canes, gingerbread and chocolate on some tables and on the reception counter. Further there were some – not necessarily festive-looking – pictures that adorned the walls.  
She had to suppress a laugh, as she imagined what it must be like for him. She grinned, stroked a few snowflakes out of her black hair and removed the white scarf, she had wrapped around her neck. White and black. God, she really loved this contrast. Okay, if fact she loved every contrast, but white and black was her absolutely favorite – the most beautiful of all.

Another view through the hall showed her that all of the nurses, who arranged the reception area, were quite busy with typing something on their computers and none of them seemed to pay any attention to their surrounding.  
Great. Not that as well! She took a deep breath and slapped on her friendliest smile. Right in front of the reception counter she stopped. “Good morning.” Yeah, morning was really the right word for it, after all it wasn't even 9:30, when she remembered the clock in her car right. “I'd like to speak with Dr. House.”  
The woman didn't even look up, as she answered. “He's busy right now, but I'll put you on the waiting list, then he'll see about you when he's done with the other patients. Unless of course, if you have an appointment – what was the name?” The woman still didn't pay attention to anything but the computer in front of her.  
The black-haired woman that entered the hospital a little ago shook her head. “No. I think you have misunderstood me,” she then said to the lady behind the counter. “I'd just like to talk to him. I neither have an appointment, nor am I a patient.” She paused. “I would really just like to briefly talk to him,” she then repeated.  
„I'm sorry, can't help you then.“ The nurse stopped tipping on the keyboard of her computer and turned to the printer beside her. She took a paper that appeared, put it in an red folder and brought it to one of the other nurses. 

“Alright-” The non-patient raised her eyebrows and stared at the woman that had left her standing there – all dressed up and with nowhere to go –, before she turned to the seats in the waiting room. “-then I'll just waiting over there.” She shook her head again, walked over and sat down on the seat next to a – if she had to guess – something around 35-year-old woman.  
The woman smiled pleasantly. “You're looking for Dr. House too?” she asked then and tuned a little, so she could better look at her new neighbor.  
“Jessica.” The black-heired answered. “Please just call me Jessica … or Jess. Better Jess, then I don't feel oder than I really am.”  
The woman chuckled slightly. “You really don't look this old, but I'll do you the favor if you want to. I'm Amanda.”  
“Pleased to meet you.” Jessica reached out her hand. “I'm 24 and yes, I'm looking for Dr. House too. But if you allow the question: why do you want to speak with him?”  
“Well, he's a doctor, right? And this is a hospital, isn't it?” Amanda asked back, making Jessica smile this way.  
„Yeah, I think so, but-“ She cocked her head to one side and looked at her counterpart forcefully. “-why does it has to be House? You look exhausted, not ill. If I had to guess, I'd say your problem is more psychological than physical.”  
Amanda narrowed her eyes and looked around in the room, before she concentrated on Jessica again. “Is there anything more?”  
Now it was Jessica who giggled. “Sure, if you want to hear?” She paused and waited until Amanda nodded with her head a little delayed. “I'd say your problem is that you're often disputing with your husband at the moment … 'cause if there were problems at work, you'd look stresses, you know? You wouldn't be this exhausted. But I think I don't have to go into detail with that, 'cause I can imagine that you don't want to talk about him. And if, then it sure wouldn't be with me. So … I think you know why you are exhausted, so this can't be the reason for you sitting here … it also can't be your husband, 'cause if it were this way, you'd send him here himself. I guess you … have a child?”  
Amanda nodded slowly. “A son.”  
“He's suffered from fatigue, right? That would at least explain why he isn't here. You left him at home, so he can resting a bit.” Jessica turned her head toward the reception before she continued without letting her gaze wander back. “If I had to guess I'd say he has stress symptoms. Perhaps he has too much homeworks or he is annoyed at school. Something like that. This can sometimes lead to nightmares and sleeping problems. And I'd say the dispute with your husband also doesn't help him at this. You should speak out with your husband and write an excuse for your son, so he can stay in a few days. That might help.” She finally turned her face back to Amanda. “What do you say? Am I right?”  
She could see quite clearly how Amanda mused. “Except the thing with the homework – my son isn't going to school yet – you could be right … I don't know exactly, 'cause he never reported any kindergarten problems … But now you have to answer me a question.” Jessica nodded. “Why do you want to speak with Dr. House? You earlier said to the nurse, that you weren't a patient.” She raised an eyebrow; caused Jess to construed it as questioning look.  
“I want to ask him something.” The young women sighed. “It's pretty important to me, but the nurse didn't want to listen to me.” Jessica leaned back, recline her head and closed her eyes.  
“Do you like House?”  
Jessica was a little surprised about this question and she turned her head back to her counterpart before she opened her eyes again. “Why do you want to know that? I mean, what gives you that idea?”  
Amanda shook her head. “I was just interested. You looked like he were important to you.”  
“Oh, he is. Absolutely. And I like him. Or … I think so …”  
“So … he's a nice guy?”  
It was a serious question, but Jessica couldn't suppress a laugh. “That's open to dispute. Actually, it's fairly good open to dispute,” she repeated.  
“And what do you think? … Is he a nice guy?” Amanda hesitated slightly before she voiced the question.  
“I think-” Jessica chewed absently on her lower lip. “I think, you wouldn't particularly like him. And I think, every psychologist would be thrilled if he could deal with House.”  
“So … then psychologists would like him?”  
“No. Never in a million years!” She shook her head defensively. “A psychologist would hate him even more than a normal person, I think. He'd just be really enthusiastic about such a difficult case.”

“But you like him?” Amanda asked a little period later.  
Jessica already knew she really liked this woman, even after knowing her only recently. Amanda thought for herself and was really attentive. “Yeah.” She grinned broadly. “Yeah, I like him. I think he's likable.”  
“Likable?!” Jessica looked up as a dark-skinned man in a white coat walked toward the two women. “House isn't likable. He's, in the best case, polite in an unfriendly way … in an absolute special case.” The man stopped right in front of them. “I'm sorry, I've just overheard your conversation and I actually didn't want to interfere.”  
“And who are you?” Jessica crossed her legs and stroked with the sleeve of her coat over her face, while she opened the upper buttons of the jacket with her free hand. Now that she was warm, she could finally get rid of the clothing.  
“Dr. Foreman.” He reached out. “I-”  
“Oh, it's you!” Jessica interrupted immediately and grabbed his hand to shake it. “Eric Foreman, right? You belong to House's team.” She beamed at him.  
He raised his eyebrows and nodded slightly. “Yeah right. And you are? How do you know me?”  
“The name's Jessica, and I heard of you. Where's House now?”  
“Um, he's busy right now.” The doctor turned his head to and fro and looked around briefly. Jessica could clearly tell, he was confused a bit.  
“Uh-huh … so, how are the others from his team? Why is the woman called Thirteen? What's her real name? And why aren't Chase and Cameron part of the team any longer? And why did you three actually come back after you didn't even work in this hospital for a while?” She grinned widely at him.

“I think you should better ask the different persons themselves,” he said evasively a few seconds later.  
“Okay.” She kept smiling, but turned briefly back to Amanda before looking at him again. “But what Thirteens real name is, you can tell me for sure.”  
“Her name is Dr. Remy Hadley. And House calls her Thirteen because she had this number during the selection process.”  
“Uh-huh. Sounds … funny somehow.” Jessica bobbed a little uncomfortable up and down in her chair.  
Amanda creased the corner of her mouth upward a little bit. “And you don't ask him any more questions?”  
The young woman shook her head. “There are things you should simply not do. And in my opinion, asking someone out about things he doesn't want to, is one of them.”  
“May I know what you do for a living?” Jess turned back to Foreman and slumped down, while she almost set her head down to her shoulder 'cause she held it this inclined. “I was just interested. I've seen how you gave this patient-” He gestured briefly to Amanda. “-a medical outcome.”  
Jessica sat back upright and began to grin again. “I'm a psychologist.”  
“That'd explain the thing of course,” Amanda said; mixed with a loud exhalation.  
“Yeah, probably.” Jessica giggled softly. “And I had a similar case recently, this helped me a lot with it too.”  
Foreman glanced at his wristwatch. “Your case would also explain, why you came up with such a diagnosis just like that … it wasn't concluded very logical, you know?”  
“Yeah, wasn't logical particularly, but it was all pretty similar.” Jessica kept grinning incessantly. “Usually I couldn't gave a diagnosis this easy.”

Suddenly there were a faint beeping, and Foreman pulled out a pager from the pocket of his lab coat, before he nodded to the two women in front of him and said goodbye. “Please excuse me, I still have some urgent work to do.”  
“Perhaps we'll meet again another time.” Jessica waved after him, before she turned away from the doctor and faced her new 'friend'. “What are you thinking about?” she asked Amanda as she noticed that the women was absent-minded.  
“I was wondering whether you are here to give House a diagnosis.”  
“No!” she exclaimed immediately, and perhaps a little louder than she intended. “Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't want to shout at you … that's just another thing you shouldn't do in my opinion. And usually I keep away from such things.”  
“Oh, I just thought this way, because you said any psychologist would be enthusiastic about a case like House.” Amanda smiled warmly at her.  
“Yeah, it's … you-” Jessica took another deep breath. “You should be able to distinguish between job and 'normality' as a psychologist. I can't just go to someone and overwhelm him with questions, to give him a diagnosis. You should always be aware about the fact, that everyone who is going to a psychologist does this voluntarily. And they expose the questions voluntarily and all … House would never do this and that's why I'm not going to give him any diagnosis.”  
“Understandable.” The lady nodded slowly, before she spoke again. “Don't you have any problems to separate the whole thing? Work and … I don't know … 'life', perhaps?”  
“Yes. Yeah of course it's difficult to me.” She ran with the sleeve of her coat over her face again, before she got up to finally take off her coat. In here, it was really too warm for that clothing. “It's difficult for everyone in the beginning but the other psychologists managed it, so why should I be the one who won't?” She threw her coat to the seat she had been sitting on just a second ago and then stretched again. “And I know people I can talk with if there is something. Or … kind of talk with, if there is something. I can't really 'cause of medical confidentiality and those things, but it's enough to manage all right if I have a problem. They can help me with my things, and I can try to help them.“ She smiled.  
“This persons, are they psychologists too?”  
“Um … no. No, they aren't. But they are doctors. And all doctors have this problem. No matter what it is about exactly, you mustn't talk about it … and strangely enough the most doctors abide by it.” She bobbed back and forth on her feet.  
“That's what the medical confidentiality is for, isn't it? And after all it is about trust between patient and doctor.”  
“Yeah, right … but … it's … I know doctors who like to brag and I always find it very surprising, when they don't tell anyone what they carried out.”  
“Okay. And with whom are you talking about it? House?”  
“Nope.” Jess looked around in the great hall.  
“Are you looking for something? And who's it then you talk with?” Amanda slumped into her seat a little more, then took her hands off the backs of the chair and folded them in her lap.  
“I was just wondering about the time,” Jessica said and stepped back; saw a clock right over the entrance. Something between half-past eleven and 12 o'clock. Quarter to midday?  
“It's 18 to 12.” Amanda looked up from the clock she was wearing.  
“Thank you.” Jess grinned broadly. “And I speak mainly with a friend of House and me about the problems. And also about problems, that don't have anything to do with work. He works here in the hospital too. As oncologist. Um-” She glanced at Amanda. “-he works with cancer patients and … yeah, this kind of thing. He has psychologically a similar situation as me. Or his situation is worse. Probably it's worse. He deals with it very well. Better than I at least. But maybe that's not this hard, 'cause I'm the new one, you know?” She giggled and stopped running to and fro; sat down again. “How long have you been waiting here? … I just wondered 'cause you're sitting here longer than I am and, after all, I came in about 2 hours ago.  
Amanda sighed. “I came in around 9 o'clock.”  
Jessica grimaced. “Doesn't sound this well. Perhaps you shouldn't wait for House to show up. But otherwise-” She looked to the nurses at the reception table, which still didn't gave anything about their surrounding. “-it doesn't look like anything would happen if you ask for another doctor.”  
“You sound like you don't believe in House showing up.”  
“Oh, to be honest, I don't. I mean … sure he's somewhere in this hospital, and he'll also leave it, so you probably will see him … but he's basically thinking that patients are unnecessary and unnerving, and that's why he's always trying to not cure them. No, stop. I take this back. Let me rephrase that. He's always trying to don't **meet** his patients and that's why he's avoiding people that has 'more normal' problems so he really has to be present.”  
Amanda nodded, but grimaced. “That doesn't sound like a good doctor for me.”  
“Oh, yes. Yes he is. He's the best. You'll never find a better one. I'm pretty sure with that. At least you'll never find a better one in this town. All around the world would be a little exaggerated. But if it's about sociality, he's … not at his best, I'd say. You shouldn't expect any pleasantries of him. You'd be pretty disappointed. Really really disappointed.” Jessica laughed lightly.  
“In other words, I'll sit here for a little more time,” Amanda recapped.  
Jessica chewed on her lower lip before she nodded and answered. “Yeah, that's what I said.” She looked across the room again, before her eyes brightened, and her smile came back. “Or maybe not. Could you just look after my things, please? Thank you.”

She stood up and let her clothes behind, as she hurried to run across the hall. The high heels of her shoes made a clacking sound on the laminated floor, as she did so. “Jimmy!” She raised her hand to wave to a young doctor, who had stepped to the elevators a few minutes ago. “Wait a minute, please. I want to ask you for something.” Right in front of him she stopped and hugged him quickly, what he gave back.  
“What are you doing here? Your checkup appointment is only in a month.” He held her a little bit away from himself and she had to look up to be able to look at his face because he was taller by more of a head.  
“In just over a month, yeah, and I'm not here to talk about this. I came to ask House if he allowed me to live with him for the next time.” She made a minimalistic break. “Only up to my appointment, of course. I don't want to be a burden to him,” she added quickly.  
“I have to say, that I doubt seriously you even **could** be a burden to him. After all it's still you.” The doctor smiled tentatively and fleetingly stroked her hair. “And what do you want from me? I'm in disbelief that you want me to ask him for you. You would only risk a no this way.”  
“Yeah … this is actually not what I want from you.” She giggled. “But I'd like to speak with him, and thought you could tell me where I can find him.” She paused. “The nurses couldn't help me this much.” She grimaced, while she pointed fleetingly to the reception desk where still no one really regarded anything other than themselves.  
He sighed and shook his head. “Just wait a second.” He took his little pager from his pocket and typed something on it. After a short moment he got an answer. “Examination room 10,” he said then, and put the little device back into his pocket. “Good luck with him.”  
“Thanks. Think I'll manage it. It's still House.” She grinned. “I'll see you then, right?”  
“Sure. If you're really staying.” They were both interrupted, as the elevator stopped beside them and the elevator doors opened.  
Quickly the young doctor was pulled into a hug from Jessica. “See you soon, then,” she said, then turned toward the examination rooms and went in this direction to finally speak with House.

–

“Wilson, you're late. I was about to think you wouldn't show up.” With his back facing the door and reclined, House sat there on a chair. He had his legs crossed and laid down on the hospital bed that was standing in the room, and he held a magazine from that it seemed like he was interested in in his one hand and in the other one he continuously turned a small rubber ball to and fro.  
“Near enough is not good enough.” She quietly closed the door behind her, walked around the chair he was sitting on and sat down on the bed near his legs; face-to-face to House. “You have really much patients out there,” she said pointedly.  
The man she had spoken to put the magazine down to his outstretched legs and looked up. “Pat, what are you doing here?” She was sure there were a little surprise in his eyes.  
“The name is Jess or Jessica, please, not Pat or Patrice. And I'm sitting here, while trying to carry conviction you to look after your patients.”  
“Well, Jess … and you know exactly I didn't mean it this way. Think you wouldn't come all the way here to the hospital just because the patients. And by the way you're living in another town, so …” He stopped playing with the small ball and put it down near the magazine on his legs. “So again, what are you doing here?”  
“I-” She began to chew on her bottom lip before she lowered her head gently and like in slow motion. It kind of seemed like she would consider whether she should nod or not. “I'll tell you what I want, as soon as you treated your patients … one of them, her name's Amanda, is waiting since-” Jess glanced at glanced at an alarm clock that stood on the small table next to House. “-since almost 3 hours.” She crossed her arms over her chest and looked at him defiantly.  
House took a few deep breaths, and then turned his eyes away from the young woman. “Well. So if I treated this Amelie-”  
“Amanda!” Jessica interrupted immediately.  
“-Amanda,” House corrected himself. “You betray me why you're here?”  
Her face contorted from a serious mine into a merry laugh. “Exactly. But you forgot about the other patients. I said, you have to treat them all.”  
He sighed loudly. “Well, then tell the woman I'm going to listen to her why she's here.”  
“Yeah!” Jessica jubilated more or less silent, sprang from the hospital bed and left the room while House kept shaking his head while he still sat on his chair.

–

“Amanda! Thanks for looking after my things.” She smiled kindly at the lady. “House is in examination room 10, and he'd like to treat you now.”  
Amanda nodded. “If you allow the question, Jessica, how did you manage to persuade House?”  
“I allow it, yes, and I … have my methods. So just go, I'm indeed pretty sure I wasn't wrong with my diagnosis, but maybe he still has a few tablets or so that can help your son.” Jessica nodded at her encouragingly, before she took her stuff off of her chair and sat down, only to find the things back on her lap. “But you should definitely hurry up before he changes his mind. I can imagine this pretty good with him.”  
“Thank you for the support.” The patient stood up and walked in the direction Jessica had come a few moments ago; shaking her head untrustworthy.  
The woman hung her head, and began to tap with her foot a few moments after. Without a conversational partner it was boring here. Much more boring. Really boring. Perhaps she should look for a new one …  
A quick glance around the room showed her she didn't really liked the opportunities she had. All people sitting here looked stressed and nervous, apart from two elderly persons that seemed to be in full cry of a conversation. She sighed quietly and leaned back in her chair.

–

“Thank you,” she heard about 10 minutes later right in front of her.  
“Hm?” Jessica opened her eyes again and saw Amanda who looked at her friendly.  
“I just wanted to say thank you. After I repeated for him what you said earlier and House actually gave me some weaker sleeping pills.”  
“I'm happy for you.” Jess straightened a little.  
“And he told me the reason you were able to persuade him.” Now Amanda grinned almost mischievously. “No wonder that you like him.”  
Jessica laughed. “Yes, you may be right.” She got up and pulled on her gloves and her scarf.  
“Where are you going?” Amanda looked at her questioningly. “What's about the deal between you and House?”  
“It's on.” Jess put her cloak on too. “But until he has treated all patients, it'll take a while, and there are also new people coming. That's why I just want to bring my book out of the car. I was stupid enough to think that it would be over here quickly, so I didn't bring it with me.” She closed the last button of her jacket.  
“I would have done it immediately.” Amanda glanced out of the window. It was snowing again.  
“Well, I've just bad luck.” Jess took a few steps toward the door. “Amanda, are you going now or do you stay?”  
“Unfortunately, I have to go now. My husband and my son are waiting at home certainly.” She smiled and followed Jess from the entrance area to the outside.

“Then I wish you good luck with your partner.” The two women said goodbye, as they stood on the street.  
“And I wish you good luck with House. Although you probably won't need it.” Amanda laughed shortly, then turned around and climbed in her own car to drove away shortly after.  
“Yeah, probably not,” Jessica said, although her acquaintance wasn't longer in sight, let alone within earshot.

–

Wearily, she yawned and closed the book. A glance at the clock above the front door – she could see it now 'cause she sat on another seat – showed her it was shortly before half past 5. No wonder that she had finally finished her book after the good five hours. After all, she already had have read about the half of it and the book 'only' had 600 pages. 300 of them could be read in 5 hours in any case. At least for many people in the world, but the others then had a reason to don't manage it.  
She yawned again and a growl sides of her stomach pointed out unfriendly that she hadn't eaten since this morning.  
With the sleeve of her white knitted pullover she stroked across her face while she was already yawn again. “Oh great,” she murmured quietly, closed her exes and leaned back in her chair. She should get something to eat somewhere. As soon as she had rest a little …

–

“Hey!” someone yelled and there were a strange knock on the floor that seemed like something met the ground.  
“Hey!” the person yelled again. It were kind of strange. Kai never woke her and he also wasn't knocking on the floor, when- “I said hey. Don't you want to get up?! I finished now and you owe me an answer.”  
It somehow sounded like … “Greg?”  
“Who did you think I am?” She heard the mockery out of his voice clearly. “Hope you weren't hoping for Wilson.”  
She opened her eyes. “Why should I hope for Jimmy?” She turned her head to the diagnostician and stared at him intently. “He an I, we're just friends.”  
“Just thinking.” House pushed carelessly with his walking stick into her side.  
“Ow! Stop this! And I just wasn't fully awake.” She slowly straightened, stretched and then rubbed her side. “I thought it were Kai.”  
“Your new boyfriend? Actually you should have been able to recognize me just because the voice. Or do we sound this similar? Don't tell me you're with him, 'cause he resembles me and you'd miss me otherwise?” He winked at her and grinned ambiguous.  
“Yeah right. As if I wouldn't have enough to worry about with only one of you, wherefore do I need a second? And you aren't similar to him … even if he probably wouldn't inferior you in any way.” She shook her head bad-tempered. “But you're right. I already miss you sometimes.” She yawned again and rubbed her eyes.  
“Don't say you hadn't enough sleep?” House asked sarcastically, turned around and went a few steps to the entrance. “Don't we want to go now?”  
“Yeah sure. Why not.” Idly Jessica put on her gloves, her scarf and her jacket, and then followed House, after she had grabbed her book.  
“So you miss me sometimes?” He turned his body slightly into her direction.  
“And you don't?” She passed him and then stopped when she stood in front of him. He turned back forward. “And don't it bother you that we only see each other only two to five times a year? I think it's pity.”  
House shrugged. “Why should it bother me? It's much quieter around without you.” He took a few steps and was about to go past her, but she blocked his way.  
“Not so fast! 'Cause, you know … that's the reason for me being here. Kind of … I … um … I wanted to ask you, if … well, if I could … until the appointment-” She started to chew on her bottom lip again.  
“Yes? I'm all ears?” He put his cane right before him on the floor and put both of his hands on it. But he didn't look particularly repellent, even if his voice expressed something else.  
“Can I lodge with you? It's really just until the appointment.” She stopped chewing on her bottom lip and smiled nervously. “What do you think?”  
“Are you … are you serious?” His eyes were slightly dilated and he raised both of his eyebrows.  
“Yeah. I … I had my … problems with Kai and I think I … I need a little time for myself … or at least without him, and I thought you had a … I could come with you?” She took a deep breath and stood herself more upright. “I thought about … I somehow doubt that anyone else lodges with you. Um … well … are you agree?”  
House shook his head in disbelief briefly, then started to smile. “Why shouldn't I? It was funny the last time we lodged together, wasn't it?”  
Jessica made an absolutely expressionless face for a moment. “You … argh!” She clenched her hands into fists. “You idiot! I really thought it would bother you!”  
He gave a short laugh. “Are you coming now? Or would you rather sleep here tonight, than with me?”  
She crossed her arms in front of her chest. “I still didn't forgive you.”  
“Just keep nagging, I'm already at home then.” Meanwhile House has surrounded her and now he was going towards the front door.  
“I'm coming, okay?” She shook her head too and then followed him outside into the freezing cold. “And I wish you a beautiful first Sunday in Advent, Greg,” she exclaimed laughingly, as she overtook him easily in spite of the icy soil.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A wonderful first Sunday in Advent from me to you too.  
> Hope someone enjoyed :D


	2. Bad mood

“She's been missing since Friday and you aren't worried?!” Wilson followed House through the long corridors of the hospital, which led in the direction of House's office.  
“'Cause what? Why should I? She can take care of herself very well.” House simply ignored that the oncologist has followed him since he had entered the hospital a few minutes ago, and he already had no desire to get over his following working day.  
“Yeah, right. But she's-,” Wilson tried again, and they passed his office while the one from House became visible.  
“And she's grown up. And I can't prescribe her anything,” House enumerated in his normal, monotonous and perhaps even a little bored tone, without reacting to Wilson's interruption.  
House stopped a little before the office door, and leaned on his crutch before he straightened up again and dashed a few snowflakes out of his short hair.  
Oh how he hated this winter weather! Just alone for the reason of his leg, that disabled him by walking over smooth surfaces – or disabled him even more as usually, no matter what the weather was.  
Taking a deep breath he kept himself from cursing out loud, shook his head briefly instead, and then entered the room in which his entire team was already assembled and waiting for him – closely followed by Wilson, who apparently didn't want to give up.

“By the way, your office is at the other end of the corridor.” House pointed back in the direction from which he had come with his best friend, and then turned to his team. “What are you doing here?! Don't you have anything to do? This is a hospital, so take care of patients. Make your ambulance service or do anything else!”  
“B-But you-,” Thirteen began to say something, but was immediately interrupted by House.  
“I'm not quite sure what you want now? Didn't I say you are supposed to work?! Go, GET OUT!” The diagnostician cut into Thirteens words and pointed annoyed toward the door. He saw her flinch visibly.  
“Wow.” Foreman kept sitting on his seat quietly and looked at his boss for a few seconds in silence. “You're in a really bad mood today.”  
“I have to work now, so you have to leave the office.” He waited until his team had went out of his office's door and then went to his desk and sat down on his swivel chair behind it. When he leaned back, his gaze briefly met Wilson, who was still standing in the middle of the room. Sluggish he bent his neck so that he stared at the tabletop of his work area, while it made the impression that he would strongly consider about something.  
“Hadn't I emphasized you all should leave the room?!” He sighed teased.  
Wilson shook his head slightly, miming the ignorant. “You were only speaking about your Team.”  
“Okay, so then now here for you too: get out of here!” House closed his eyes and rubbed above the bridge of his nose, before a sigh escaped his throat again.  
A more or less suppressed laughter made him sit up. “Now, what is it?!” House almost growled. With a little imagination you would maybe even have been able to compare him with a cornered animal.  
Wilson shook his head and grinned. “It actually makes you feel low,” he stated factually and unemotionally, but the diagnostician could hear the smile in Wilson's voice, and even saw in his mind's eye how the oncologist, so typical for him, bowed his head slightly annoyed at one side.  
“Of course it makes me feel low!” He laughed mirthlessly. “It's Sunday morning and I didn't hear anything from her since Friday midday. What if something happened to her?! 'Cause I can't imagine she wants to live with me and then disappears without saying anything.” House was sure that even if he tried he wouldn't be able to calm down. Although he knew his voice was in spite just minimalist louder than usually. So he didn't shout at least. That was something good. “But on the other hand, it were only two days and a few hours, and the police wouldn't expand their current contracts with a missing 24-year-old woman that isn't even living in the city officially.” House hung his head and put it on his both hands, which were still holding his crutch.  
Wilson held up his hands soothingly. “Alright, it's okay. I think it's good to know that you still have feelings … even if not for everyone and everything. Maybe for no one other than her, but even that's good to know. It's kind of reassuring.”  
The chief doctor of the diagnostic department pointed at the door, without raising his head or looking up, showed Wilson this way without words that he was no longer desired. “I'm sorry, but I really don't have the strength to discuss this now,” he said with a hoarse voice.

As House reached into the pocket of his, from the melted snow now slightly damp, coat and Wilson realized that he wouldn't receive any further comments, especially after House had the Vicodin he was certainly looking for, Wilson shook his head again with a silent sigh before he followed the team of his best friend out of the room and left the diagnostician alone.  
House exhaled relieved when he heard the door closed behind the oncologist. What luck Wilson was finally gone, 'cause House definitely hadn't the strength for anything right now. Not after he worried this much. Hopefully Cuddy wanted nothing from him today, because that would really rob him his last nerve. If he managed to keep his nerves until then.  
He groaned again, and ran his right hand over his face, while he swallowed the two Vicodin, he had just took out of his pocket. He was aware of the fact, that he more or less just imagined the pain in his leg … probably rather less than more but he had to imagine that they were worse. Everything else was absolutely harebrained. Although he would never admit it to anyone else, of course. Especially not in front of Wilson or Cuddy. Perhaps both were right, and his mental state affected his pain. In fact, he knew that they were right, but he would never say it out loud!  
He had to suppress a yawn and leaned back in his comfortable swivel chair. He really had been short of sleep the last two – and maybe even a little more than two – nights.

–

“House.” He could hear a slightly worried-sounding voice from the doorway but didn't manage to look up. “Everything okay with you?”  
“I'm just thinking.” Now he let himself fall further back into his chair and slipped in a more comfortable position this way. “What is it, Cameron? I can't really believe that you are here because you hope to gain a Date with me again. I thought, we would be through this all.” House hoped fervently that she could clearly hear the scorn and derision he tried to pack in his voice.  
Among only ajar opened eyes, he could see how Cameron narrowed her eyes to slits and gave him the once-over from top to bottom. “Are you sure you're-”  
“I'm fine!” he brought out strident and tried to banish the desperation and exhaustion out of his voice, but he knew himself that it didn't really succeeded, and by Cameron's face, he got only confirmation.  
“Is your leg hurting this much?” she asked softly. “Or is it something else?”  
House took a deep breath, to concentrate, before he said “I'm fine.” again, this time with a little more steady voice. “What do you want?” He raised his eyebrows and slightly cocked his head after he opened his eyes completely now.  
“I-” Cameron shook her head briefly, apparently to get rid of some thoughts.  
As if this would work. House had to know this,he had tried it quiet often yesterday after Jessica didn't came back on Friday …  
“It's … it's not this important,” Cameron said after her gaze briefly striped House and she had eyed him from top to bottom again. She lowered the record she was holding in her hands.  
“You're better not running to Cuddy now, to tell her about my state,” the diagnostician ejaculated with a rather weak voice. “I'm fine,” he repeated one more time, but the two of them knew, that he could never be serious.  
“I see this.” The doubt and irony were quite clear in Cameron's voice. Then she turned around and left the room while House searched after the box with Vicodin again, and finally found the no-longer-quite-medicine.  
A glance at the clock told him that he was only four hours there in the hospital and there were two hours left to lunch break, as he swallowed his pain medication for the third time this day. This would become very hard …

–

What the hell were wrong with the four members of his team? Did they thought he wouldn't hear, when they talked in the sideroom about what was wrong with him? Could they really be this stupid? No, right? But they did it right now. Okay, they discussed only for a few minutes, but House already felt like it had been hours.  
He sighed and played with his now not longer full Vicodin-box in his hands, from that he had somehow managed not to swallow all of the pills. By now he had doffed his coat and it laid, together with his scarf, near his chair at the floor. He hadn't seen any sense in running to the coat hook just to come back again.  
“Listen, House,” Cuddy's strong voice interrupted his thoughts in this moment, while the door to his office opened with a clicking as she entered. “You are welcome to feel sorry for yourself, but please don't take it out on your team or somebody else! Today you're even worse than usual.” Cuddy put her hands on her hips, before she continued. “When you're sick, then stay at home, but don't harass the hospital, or some of the therein located people!” She looked at him reproachfully.  
“Cameron was with you,” he said calmly. It wasn't a question; just a fact he threw into the room.  
“Yes, she were. And she's worried about you,” Cuddy said, what the both of them already knew. The hospital chief tilted her head slightly and House could also see worry in her eyes – next to the clearly allegation.  
“I'm fine.” He stopped tossing the Vicodin-box from one hand to the other, and threw it on his clothes pile.  
“Cameron told me you'd say this.” The hospital chief shook her head. “And she also said it wouldn't wash.” Cuddy paused, before she continued with a more soft voice. “Go home, House. You look ill and I don't need an ill doctor in the hospital. That would reflect badly on the hospital.”  
House made a humming sound he wanted to express his contradiction with.  
“You didn't even interrupted Wilson's dinner in the cafeteria,” Cuddy tried again to convince him about leaving the hospital – at least for today.  
When House looked up and raised his eyebrows, she rolled her eyes and dropped her shoulders a little. “I first was in the canteen to look in on you. Usually this is the time you're there with your friend.”  
A glance at the clock from the corner of his eyes showed House that it was 14:13. Of course Cuddy was right, but he hadn't really want it to be interviewed by Wilson, and that would certainly happen if he sat down with him at the table now, or if he somehow came near him otherwise.  
“I wasn't hungry.” House turned the chair in order that he looked towards the wall then.  
“So it isn't about avoiding questions?”  
What exactly was going on in this woman? Could she read his mind, or did she really know him this good?  
He heard a sigh and turned back to look at his boss. The women put her hands off of her hips and took a deep breath. “I talked with Wilson. He said something along these lines.  
The diagnostician acknowledged that with a nod, then turned back to the wall. He could almost see in front of his mind's eye how the woman shook her head.  
“Do whatever you want, House, but if you aren't better tomorrow, then stay at home, and to be honest I would be thankful if you're going right now and rest a bit.”  
Just a few seconds after, House heard the office's door snapped shut.

He took a deep breath and finally stood up with a sigh. It wouldn't change anything, if he kept sitting around in here now. And since when did he have the opportunity to go home earlier? Even with permission and the explicit request to do so.  
Just a few minutes later he wore his black coat and his white scarf was wrapped around his neck. A look into the next room showed him that his team had packed up and had left the room they used for discussions ans diagnoses. It was the moment he was about to leave too, when the phone rang.  
Exasperated, he groaned, but went back to pick up the handset. Something he usually did only rarely, but today wasn't exactly usually.  
“Yeah? Dr. House speaking.” He hoped fervently, that his voice showed the person that called, that he wasn't asked for – neither in person nor over the phone – and that the person then hang up. But this didn't happen.  
“Hi. It's me. Nice to hear from you. How are you Greg?” a female, and very familiar, voice asked on the other end of the phone. There was a pause, when he didn't answer. “Greg? Is everything okay with you?” The woman sounded, like she'd hesitate.  
“WHERE were you, Jess?!” he snapped at her loudly. Relieved he realized, his voice sounded firm again, not like the first part of this day.  
“Don't tell me you were worried?” There was a soft chuckle.  
“Stop laughing and tell me where you were!” While he said this, he sat down on the edge of his desk, to take the load off of his leg. Good thing his team was already gone.  
“Alright, calm down. I was just a little surprised about the fact, you're even able to be worried.” After a little dramatic pause, she continued. “I was … I'm with Kai and I- Shut up!” she snapped, right in the moment House opened his mouth and before he could even say anything. “You asked, and now listen! So … yeah, I'm with Kai, to ask him, if he takes Noah as long as I'm not around him but with you, or if I have to take him with me.”  
“Noah?” the chief doctor interrupted her yet again.  
“My male cat.” The explanation cam immediately. Almost as if Jess had already knew he would ask this question. And if he thought about it, then she had probably really knew, he would ask something around this lines. After all, she knew him pretty well – sometimes even better than Wilson did.  
“If it's your male cat, than you have to look after him.” House shrugged, even if he knew, she could never see it though the phone.  
“That's the reason I'm calling you. Would you be agree if I'm taking him with me? 'Cause, you know … I'm living with you in the same apartment, so you have to be agree.”  
There was a moment of silence, while the diagnostician thought about it. “I don't mind,” the doctor said finally.  
“Thanks, Greg. You're the best.” He shook his head and rolled his eyes, when he heard the enthusiasm in her voice. “And I'm sorry about didn't inform you about what I was going to do. I had forgotten … see you then,” she added before she replaced.

“See you then,” House repeated, although the line was already dead. Then he took off his jacket and the scarf, and this time he hung both at the clothes hook.  
Now he had exactly 27 minutes left to interrupt Wilson's dinner, and then he could find himself any 'case'. Somewhere he would find one, and even if he didn't like patients, he had no desire to show any weakness around Cuddy. He wouldn't go earlier just because the woman asked him to do so!

–

“Hey!” Jess grinned at him, as he entered the entrance to finally leave the hospital after he had done his work. There had really been a 'case' for him, but it turned out to be a simple mistake that was made by some assistant doctor, when he had tested the patient. Accordingly House was stressed out again right now.  
“Hey,” he repeated annoyed.  
“Um … I assume that this doesn't has to do with me, so what is it then?” She cocked her head and looked up to him – what she would have done too, if she would have stand straightened.  
“An assistant doctor made a mistake, so I wasted a whole work day with nothing.” He laid a hand down on Jessica's shoulder and turned her around, so that she looked at the glass doors as well. “Come on, let's go, okay?”  
“Sure. And this sounds bad. What was the mistake?” She followed House's lead and stepped slowly toward the entry doors, that guided into the cold in front of the hospital.  
“I'm sorry Jess, medical secrecy.”  
“You're only saying this, to bother me, 'cause I didn't call you earlier!” She crossed her arms in front of her chest, pushed her lower lip forward and turned her head away from House sulky.  
“Would you mind not to pretend to be a little child? You're 24. And besides, I have no desire to employ longer than necessary with the mistake.” He opened the glass doors and kept it open so Jessica could pass.  
“Okay … and I bought gingerbread and dominoes, and a few candles,” she chattered happily.  
“Uh-huh. And wherefore?” House paused and gave her the once-over.  
She looked at him. “Well, today is the second Sunday in Advent. I thought you wouldn't mind to celebrate a little.” She grinned at him again.  
“Well, then.” Meanwhile, the two of them had arrived at House's car. He held open the passengers door for her. “A happy second Sunday in Advent,” he said, as he sat down on the driver's seat.  
“Thanks, the same to you.” She continued to smile happily to herself all the way home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And a fantastic second Sunday in Advent to you all.  
> And I'm sorry if this “I'm with-” is wrong. In German we can say it this way, if we are at somebodies home. I don't really know if it's the same in English, if it isn't, I'd be glad about the correct term :)


	3. Jealousy

With a bowed head, Jessica entered the large entrance hall and held a hand to her mouth to cover the hugely yawn.  
Great. Now she was short of sleep again, and all of this just because of Greg, this damn- “Oh, God!” she cursed, more or less quietly, while she took the path to the canteen, where she hoped to get a black coffee.  
She quickly pulled out her jacket, then placed it over her arm, and put her hands back into the pockets of the baggy hoodie she had found this morning in Greg's wardrobe. For whatever reason he hadn't thrown away this cloth of her …  
Well, great. Now she was thinking about Greg again! Why hadn't she just kept rest in the bed, after she was awake the whole night?! She could've slept until midday or even longer. But no, she was kind enough to shoo Greg out of the house, so he came in time for his workday.  
And speaking of Greg. Why the hell did he look still this fit?!The last few nights he just had as little sleep as she had, or even less … maybe a few minutes more, but even if he had slept every day about an hour longer, she should have been able to see that Greg was more exhausted than usual. But no! He was exactly the same as always. Intrusive as always. And hyperactive as always. And … no idea what. Just as always. Not the smallest difference could be recognized, at least in his fatigue was concerned. Why?!

She shook her head and opened the big white door, that led into the canteen. As she entered, she saw that someone had already put all the chairs on their location – or at least if they didn't stand on location over the night – and someone put a few star-shaped cinnamon biscuits on every table. Apart from the woman behind the counter, Jess didn't see anyone. She wondered on what time the woman had to stand up … probably so early that Jessica had nothing to complain about, even though she had already risen at half past 7. Jess herself got up always a little after Greg, but still so, that she could send him out of the house so that he came to work in time and then she followed him after she had breakfasted too and also tidied up everything.  
She yawned again and then walked between the tables across the room toward the serving counter.  
„Can I help you?“ the young woman asked with a friendly smile, that didn't even look as it were pretended. How the hell did she do this?!  
„Um … yeah, actually you can.“ Jess couldn't suppress another yawn. “I'd like a black coffee, if that's possible.”  
The canteen assistant laughed. “With pleasure. That will be four dollars.” Jessica gave her 5 and then took the change.  
“Thank you.” She nodded to the woman, then sat down on one of the chairs and drank her coffee, while she watched the other people that came in. Some of them just turned around as soon as they came in, others went to the serving counter frantically and then left again after they had what they were here for, and then there were a few people that sat down at the tables with their drink – or their breakfast –, and stated to talk with one another about all sorts of topic, or just listened or watched the others like Jess did.

After Jess had finished her coffee after about half an hour, she stood up and left the canteen, left her cup on the table. Okay, usually she wouldn't have need 30 minutes to finish a cup of no-matter-what, but what spoke against linger over it, when she had the time to do so? And it also didn't really helped. After all, she was barely more awake than before …  
She headed for Wilson's office unerringly, remained just outside the door, and knocked briefly. Without waiting for an answer, she entered the room. “Morning, Jimmy,” she murmured and sat down on his couch after being sure that the doctor hadn't any visitor or patient at the moment.  
“Morning, Jess. You look tired,” he commented, looking up from the file he leafed through right at the moment.  
“Didn't sleep so well.” She made a little pause. “Well, actually I didn't even sleep at all,” she corrected herself then.  
“House?” the oncologist suspected immediately, and earned a little sleepy nod, that made him smile. “That figures.”  
“Yup.” Another lazy nod.  
“Maybe you should speak with him about he doesn't let you sleep all the time. Weren't this good if you somewhen just collapse, because you don't have any more power … or you stop coming to the hospital with him and sleep during the day. That should work too,” he suggested.  
“Please, can I just crash on this sofa?” she asked, as if she hadn't even heard him. “Or do you expect any patients for today?”  
He sight. “No, I don't. Just go on as long as you don't mind if I do some work over here …”  
She shook her head, stretched out on the sofa and mumbled something that sounded like “thank you” before she drifted fairly quickly onto the sleep.  
So much for coffee helped against tiredness ...

–

“-here?” Jessica heard somebody ask.  
“Yes. And she's sleeping, because you don't let her at night. And now be quiet, because you'll wake her otherwise!” That was definitely Jimmy's voice. So the other one had to be Greg.  
“Too late,” Jessica grumbled disgruntled and opened her eyes.  
“I'm sorry, honey.” Greg smiled at her apologetically, and she could clearly see how Wilson stopped right in the movement of putting a folder in his shelf, and stared at Greg stunned. She would have done the same, if she were him … and if she hadn't been so damn tired.  
She sighed. “It's okay. Can't change anyway.” After she blinked a few times, she sat up and looked around.  
Someone had covered her with a green blanket flow – probably Jimmy –, and the door was open, and House stood in the doorway and looked at her. The owner of the office was shaking his head, still hadn't moved one centimeter behind his desk. “So everything between you is okay again?” he asked. She couldn't stop smiling.  
“Between us there were never problems. Just the distance from New Jersey to New York didn't did well to us, because of all the work.” She looked again around the room. “What's the time?” She looked to the two man questioningly.  
Wilson opened his mouth briefly, but then closed it again without having said anything and looked at his clock, while House just steadied himself on his crook and waited.  
“A quarter to two,” the oncologist said. She had slept this long? Wow. “And you should buy a clock for yourself somewhen, Jessica.” She nodded, but already knew she wouldn't do it, or at least wouldn't do any time soon. And seemingly Jimmy knew it too, 'cause he sighed loud and went back to his folders.  
“Will you come with me to have lunch?” House asked and straightened himself.  
“Don't you have any patients?” Jessica asked a counter-question.  
“Yes, but my team's handling that.” He shrugged.  
“Right. Foreman, Thirteen, Taub and … Kutner, am I right?” House nodded at her. “Sounds relaxed,” he said more quiet and thought about Greg's team, that certainly was anything but relaxed.  
“What?” House asked immediately.  
“Nothing. Wasn't this important.” She shook her head. “I'll be happy to eat with you. What's with you, Jimmy?”  
The oncologist shook his head briefly. “I'll come as soon as I'm done here. But I have to arrange this yet. "  
„Alright.“ Jessica stood up and passed Greg, went through the door. “Are you coming?”

–

She poked around in her food unenthusiastic.  
“Don't tell me you aren't hungry?” House pointed to her plate.  
“Hm?” She looked up and shook her head. “Oh this. No.” She smiled. “I was wrapped in thoughts.”  
“Kai?” Greg sighed. “Just forget this idiot already!” He made a miffed face.  
“Alright. Alright.” She started to laugh gently. “You don't have to be jealous.”  
“And anyway, what was the thing about 'the distance from New Jersey to New York'? It's this guy's fault that you didn't had any time for me.” If Jessica hadn't known better, she would have said he was pouting.  
“Oh, cute.” She giggled. “You're really jealous.”  
“Why should I, please?” Irony was definitely something House was able to use.  
She took a deep breath, and calmed down. “Okay. Change of subject.” She looked briefly around in the canteen. “May I invite Jimmy for a coffee after work today?” she asked then.  
“Why?” House wanted to know sceptically.  
“Um … 'cause today is the third Sunday in Advent, and you two belong to the group of doctors, that are working even if it's Sunday. And 'cause you'll have to work the next weekend too, and because you have just pretty barely free days. And 'cause it's exactly the same with him. And 'cause I had the opinion that you guys might enjoy this little break. So? What do you think?”  
He thought for a moment, then sighed. “Alright. I don't mind!”  
She grinned at him. “Great. Thank you.”  
“Okay, so you can tell me now, why you call him Jimmy.” He said seriously.  
“Greg, please. Don't start this again now. Between me and him there's nothing going on. Not at the moment, not in the past. And also not in the future. We're just friends … and phone regularly,” she added, and stared at him for a moment as seriously as he did. Then he started to grin. “Idiot. You knew this very well!”  
“Yeah, of course I do. But it's funny to see how you try to justify yourself.” She rolled her eyes when he said this, and cursed herself for the fact that she actually fell for the same trick every time.

–

“Wow.” Wilson stopped in the doorway of House' apartment and looked around. “What exactly happened here?”  
“Ask her.” His best friend pointed at Jessica.  
“What?!” She looked in disbelieve from one of them to the other. “Greg, what the hell did you do, for Jimmy to be surprised, just because your apartment is tidy? That should be the normal state of everything here!” When none of the two men answered and the oncologist continued to look around in the living room in silence and somehow stunned, Jessica shook her head, turned around and went int the kitchen.  
She hadn't really done anything. Only washed all the laundry and sorted it on location. Then dusted the books, but she didn't organized them, 'cause Greg seemed to be really good at it. She also did the hoovering and mopped in bath and kitchen, as well as she did the dishes. For everything she had just needed a little about an evening. So nothing this difficult. Greg would manage it too … if he weren't so lazy.

She took one of the matchboxes, she had sorted near the hearth, and lit up three of the candles on the Advent wreath that stood on the kitchen table since the first Advent. She also put a plate on the table, and distributed a couple of cookies on it, that she had baked three day ago. Then she made coffee.  
While she waited she prepared a small bowl of cat food and sat it on the floor. Watched how Noah came in just a few seconds after and began to eat. She had gotten the small white-red male cat until about 6 weeks ago, and from what she knew he was born just 2 months before, what you could tell easily, looking at his size. But he would still grow … and as long as that wasn't the case, she'd just be happy about this little, cute, ball-like, and somehow fluffy creature. Smiling about her own idea, she finally turned back to the kitchen table.  
“Are you coming?” she yelled, while she quickly put three cups and a small bowls with dominoes on the table. Then she took the pot of fresh coffee, and place it next to the candy.  
“Well,” she heard from the door and saw Greg entering the room hobbling, followed by Wilson.  
“Merry third Sunday in Advent,” the oncologist wished happily.  
“Merry third Sunday in Advent,” the other two of them echoed with one voice, and Jessica poured each of them a cup of coffee.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wish you a happy third Sunday in Advent :)  
> I'm sorry if this '4 dollars' wasn't realistic. That's what a coffee would cost in Germany but I really don't have any idea if it's the same over there in America.


	4. Hypotheses

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for this really “strange” beginning but it'll get better in the end, I think.

**“Dad?” the little girl yelled and closed the door behind herself. “Dad?” she yelled again, but she didn't get any answer. “Daddy?!”**   
**Slowly she got a little worried. Her father were always there, when she got home.**   
**“Dad?” She started to look into the different rooms.**   
**“Dad, where were you all the time?!” she asked with a tear stained voice, and ran towards him, before they sat in the living room on their sofa together.**   
**“What did the police officers wanted earlier?” She sat up and straightened immediately, as her father walked into the kitchen and she could clearly see, how the two policemen spoke with each other behind the kitchen door. “Dad? Where's mom? … why don't you say anything? Daddy?” Slowly tears began to run down her checks and he hugged her.**   
**“Shh …” He rubbed over her back soothingly, but couldn't stop a tear running his face down too. “It's alright, sweetheart, it's alright,” he said again and again.**   
**“Dad?” she whined again. “W-where's mom?”**   
**“Your mother … she … your mother won't come back.” He swallowed. “She … she had an accident … she's … she's somewhere else.”**   
**“Do you think she's alright there?” she asked.**   
**“Yes …” He nodded. “Yeah, I'm sure about that.” He hugged her even tighter.**   
**“I think this were more than enough words of goodbye.” Someone put a hand down on her shoulder, and pulled her away from her father. “It's not like you won't see him ever again.” She was pulled a little further. “He can't take care of you now. You heard the doctor, didn't you?”**   
**The girl shook her head vigorously. “NO! No I don't want to go away! I want to stay! I want to be with dad!” she cried and clung even more to her father.**   
**“Jessica …” The older man pulled her away from her father again.**   
**“No! You don't know jack! You don't know how this is! I want to stay and not leave!”**   
**“Yeah, but your father hasn't the emotional and at the moment also hasn't the physical conditions, to take care of you.”**   
**“I don't care! I don't wanna …”**   
**“Stop this, Patrice!”**   
**“But Dad!” Tears were running down her face.**   
**“Just go. You can visit me every time.” He smiled gently.**   
**She started crying even more as she already did, and stamped on the ground angrily on the ground. “But I don't want to!” she shouted an turned around defiantly, just to get the quickest way to the car then.**   
**“Antonia Patrice Jessica! What was the point of this?!”**   
**“What was the point of what?” She crossed her arms in front of her chest and looked challenging at her teacher and Head at the same time.**   
**“The thing on the school yard! That you hit this boy!”**   
**“His own fault, when he insults my parents!” she snapped back.**   
**“That's no excuse!” the Head replied and heaved her hands on her hips. “You're 15! Now pull yourself together finally!”**   
**“What's your problem?! Perhaps you'll finally notice that my father can't take care of me and my mother died when I was 11! It may be no reason for you, but for me it is!” And with that she turned around and left the Head's office without looking back again.**   
**“Jessica! Jess! Please wait a minute! What are you doing?” He touched her shoulder.**   
**“No Max! It's over, okay?! Just forget about anything between you and me!”**   
**“What?! You can't go to the party, Pat. You're too young,” her grandmother said upset.**   
**“Hey, Pat. How are you?” Her father.**   
**“Jess, here you are.” Her room and her best friend. “I were worried already.”**   
**The images got more and more and blurred and more blurred.**   
**“Patrice, please come here to me.” Her mother smiled at her from the first step of the stair.**   
**From the steps she could see a policeman entering the house. “I'm sorry I have to inform you, that your wife Melinda had an car accident and got badly wounded. A few hour ago she came into the hospital, and died.”**

“NO!” Jessica waked up screaming, and immediately she sat straight in her bed. “Greg?!” She looked around panicking. He wasn't here. He took a few deep breaths, before she stood up and looked at the alarm clock. Half to midday. It should have bin ringing at 7 o'clock. Okay, so it was no surprise, that Greg were already gone. After all, he still had to go to work.

–

“Morning,” she were greeted by Jimmy, as soon as she entered the PPTH. “How are you?”  
“As good as can be expected under the circumstances.” She ran with a hand over her face.  
“Did you sleep well?” he asked caring and stepped towards her.  
“Nightmares,” she replied tiredly.  
“And what else?” He put a hand on her shoulder and stroked her briefly over her back, ignoring her from the snow soaked jacket, before leading her to the elevators, that led to the upper floors.  
“Greg was gone.”  
“I know.” The oncologist sighed and shook his head. “He even was in time this morning and said he didn't want to wake you.”  
That would at least explain why the alarm clock hadn't rung. She smiled. “At least he's working.”  
“Oh, I don't know if I should call it a positive thing.” Wilson smiled a little too. “He looked pretty exhausted.” The two of them stepped out of the elevator and walked toward the office rooms.  
She shrugged. “And how are you?”  
“It's alright. Even if it doesn't leave me cold, but it happened 13 years ago, and I am a little work-hardened, so I'm not this bad.”  
“Even without a girlfriend at Christmas?”  
“Yes, even without a girlfriend during the Christmas season. But therefore I have you, and House.”  
Now Jessica giggled. “Sweet of you, Jimmy. Is Greg in his office?”  
“Uh-huh. He ought be there.”  
Wilson patted her on the shoulder again, then said goodbye to her and disappeared into his office while Jess started her way to Greg's office.

“Oh, one more thing!” he said and made her stop this way.  
“hat is it?” She turned around and cocked her head slightly.  
“Um … House's team speculate about who you are since the first time they saw you.”  
“Oh?” She said ironically.  
James looked at her surprised for a few seconds, before he started grinning. “Yeah, seems like you managed, to let them think you're House's psychologist or his girlfriend … among other things.”  
“Well, aren't I?” Her voice still oozed irony and she grinned incessantly.  
“That was panned?” James asked and shook his head. “You can totally tell that you and House … well. I could have known that, at least.”  
She laughed. “Yeah, you could. After all, we've known each other now ever since I remember.”  
Annoyed, he rolled his eyes. “That figures.” He pause for a moment. “Have fun with it.”  
“Oh, I'll! Definitely.” She turned to House's office again, before she froze once more, and then stepped into the oncologist's office. “I'd just like to know, what you know about all this … stuff the members of Greg's team were thinking about. What exactly … do his teams suppose?” She sat down on the chair that stood on the opposite of James chair behind the table, and looked at the doctor expectantly, while she thrummed on her leg with her fingers. “Of course you don't have to answer, if you are busy,” she added.  
He picked up a folder from the shelf and opened it on the table. “I think I can spare a few minutes for you. The next patient isn't coming until one hour.” He took a few sheets from the file and Jessica could see, how his eyes flew over the paper. “But I have to do this work, while we're speaking.” He put by the file, and put the leaves in front of him on the table.  
“That's definitely not the problem.” Jessica shrugged and leaned back in the chair.  
He looked up briefly. “Well, then what exactly do you want to know?”  
“Everything you know.”  
He shook his head and turned back to the papers in front of him, then made a note, while moving his lips in silent. “No,” he said then. “I'm not doing this, because we'd run low on time.”  
“Well … but you at least have to tell my, why they think I'm his girlfriend,” she said pouting.  
“If you want to. So … you know everyone by now, don't you?” He wrote something on his paper again.  
“Sure. I'm here since two weeks.” She nodded.  
“Yes, right … Foreman noticed apparently, that you think House is sympathetic. And he was also the guy that noticed at first, that House acted a little strange around you. Then there are also the others, that noticed, of course, how you and House deal with each other. Also someone came by last week, when House invited us both for lunch.”  
“Jessica giggled. “Oh, yeah, this 'honey', quite clear.”  
“Correct, but there were also the other things. One of them noticed you talk when you two sat in the canteen – something about jealousy or this kind of stuff.” The oncologist leafed through his papers until the last page, and finished there a few points too, before he put it all back into the file, and took another paper. “You also shouldn't forget Cuddy, who wasn't the only one who noticed, that House … kind of changed since you're here. If you want to say it this way. Well, then it wasn't this normal, when House was in even worse mood than usually last week. It could've been because of his leg, what was also the teams first thought, but then you can also expand the list of possibilities, especially because House were suddenly good again. And because of this psychologist-thing … Foreman had gotten it and told it to the others.” Wilson shook his head. “There are a lot hypotheses, really.”

Jessica's grin widened. “Oh, there could be even more of course.”  
“Give it a bone. I think you've already donated enough confusion.”  
“Maybe.” Jessica bowed her head.  
“Jessica.”  
“Alright, it's okay. But tell me, why do you know this all?” She frowned and he looked up.  
“They asked me about it, of course.”  
Immediately she opened her eyes a little wider. “But you didn't-” she began and stopped, when she saw him shaking his head and sighing softly.  
“I said this doesn't concern me, as long as you and House don't tell them anything.”  
Instantly the grin returned. “Thanks. And I wanted to tell them anyway. It'll get out anyway. But maybe not exactly now.” Her grin got even wider, if that was possible at all. “Rather in the coming days. What about the Christmas party in the hospital? Greg hasn't taken free after all, so he will be there, and the other will be there too probably. But when I tell them, then on my way. Or on the way of House and me.”  
James groaned. “Well. That's your decision … if that was all, then I'd say … see you soon?”  
“Sure. Until then, Jimmy.” Still grinning she left the room behind her and made her way to House's office.

–

“Hey Greg!” she called, walked around his desk, and briefly kissed him on the cheek. “Where were you this morning?”  
“Didn't want to wake you,“ he said and asked a question as well. „How are you?“  
“I'm fine. Or I think so.” She hugged him from behind and ignored his team – and his former team as well. “I'm as fine as every 20th December.”  
He rolled his eyes. “You should probably put it behind yourself, it's quite a while ago, after all.”  
She sway her head back and forth, but then nodded. “I put it behind myself, but that doesn't change the fact, that-” she cut off in mid-sentence.  
“-that today it's the date of your mother's death?” he finished her sentence and looked at her with something in his eyes, she could only describe as overprotective.  
“Yeah, exactly.” She shrugged and smiled gentle, before she stepped back to the window, while she finally put off her jacket. “What do you think about doing something today? We could go out and eat something, or-”  
“Sure,” he answered. “Why not?” Greg leaned back in his chair and turned it, so that he was able to see Jessica standing at the window. “What's about 18 o'clock? I'll have finished then.”  
“Sounds good. I'll see you then here?”  
“If you pick me up.”  
“Great. See you later, then. Oh and-” She turned to House's teams again. “-have a wonderful fourth Sunday in Advent, and we'll see again not later than Christmas, probably.”  
She grinned and kissed House again on his check, while she briefly wrapped her arms around him and then left him and his team in the room, while she left the PPTH.  
At least the day would end better than it had begun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter and it wasn't this confusing …  
> Wish you a wonderful fourth Sunday in Advent, and we'll hopefully see in the next/last chapter :D


	5. Memory

“That was nice today.” Smiling, she stretched, and covered the table at which she and Greg had just taken their Christmas dinner. “Although not quite as funny as last year at the Christmas party of the hospital. But at least you hasn't to go to work today.” Greg grumbled something unintelligible, what she interpreted as consent.  
While she put the plates and the remaining dishes in the sink, she perceived how House behind her took two wine glasses and an associated bottle from one of the cabinets and pour wine to both of the glasses.  
She knew, he would have preferred something else alcoholic to drink and also that he renounced it for her sake. She had also noticed, that he took less Vicodin on some days, for example her birthday. Yeah, since she moved in with him, House had changed in some ways. And just for her.  
She grinned as she thought about it, and she wanted to wash the dishes, but was interrupted by a coughing behind her.  
“What?” she asked and turned around.  
“You won't ruin our evening, because you make the dishes right now, will you?” He held one of the wine glasses to her and pointed at the door towards his living room. “Come on, that's our first Christmas together, that we can celebrate just with each other, since years. Don't break it.” Somehow he reminded her of a little child.  
She took a few deep breaths, while the grin in her face widened. “If you want to. And what's in the living room unlike here?”  
Greg rolled his eyes and spread his arms like as if the reason were for sure. “There's the TV? We could watch something, and talk while we do so, you know? Just how people do that at Christmas.”  
“You're cute, when you're trying to be 'normal'.” She grinned, but then followed him out of the kitchen. The first thing she noticed when she entered the living room was, that Noah had made himself comfortable on the couch so that neither she nor Greg found a seat on it. He had really grown the last year, but at least he was not a fat cat.

She grinned and kneed next to the couch. “Hey Noah.” She stroked through his fur between his ears. The male cat turned his head and started to purr. “Don't you want to give place to us?” Noah only meowed and stretched slightly, but didn't move one centimeter – even took a little more space than before, since he didn't posed a ball any longer.  
“What are you doing? He doesn't understand one bit of what you're saying.” Greg groaned and put his glass down on the little table in front of the sofa.  
“Oh pease!” Jessica shook her head, put her glass down on the table too and raised Noah from the couch. As soon as she sat down and made herself comfortable, she put Noah down on her lap, and started stroke his fur again, while the little cat formed a ball again.  
Greg sat down beside her, and put on the TV. Immediately the pictures from 'Three Wishes for Cinderella' lit up on the screen. „God, I remember why I don't watch TV on Christmas usually,” Greg said.  
She laughed out loud and leaned against his shoulder. “It's a nice movie.” She could hear how Greg snorted, and her laugh became even louder. “Then just put it off again.”  
It didn't even need one second and the TV was black, before Greg gave one of the wine glasses to Jessica. “To us,” he said.  
“To us!” faint clink rang out, as the glasses collided and the both of them took a sip. “I have to say, that it's not bad to celebrate Christmas with just you. But last year with the others was still more beautiful.”  
“Yeah.” The diagnostician nodded. “Especially when we explained them about the two of us.”  
“Yeah, right. Still love the memory of their faces. It was the most beautiful Christmas I had since a really long time.”  
“It's after all a little difference, when you hear something like that out of my mouth.” Greg put an arm around her and pulled her closer.  
“Definitely, yes. But we had to tell them.” She yawned and took another sip from her glass, before she put it down on the table again, causing her cat to hiss when she moved. She stroked his fur soothing.

“I've to say, that I'm glad you didn't get along with Kai again.” At this words, she sat up and stared at him reproachfully, what caused her cat to jump off her lap and make his way to the bedroom, that she didn't shared with House any longer because she got her own room – originally a storage room, but it looked quite handsome by now. “I mean, I'm glad you're here and not with him.”  
“Thanks. Somehow … this was meant in a good way, wasn't it?”  
“Yeah, I think so.” Greg pulled her closer again.  
“I'm glad to be here too. It was great, to live here with you. Quite more comfortable, than to be alone.”  
“I can imagine that. In addition, New York is too far away from here. And especially from me.”  
Jessica couldn't stop herself from smiling. “You're dead right. And now you'll never get rid of me ever again.” She lounged a bit and then put her head on his chest. “Merry Christmas,” she murmured softly.”  
“The same to you, honey.” Greg gave her a kiss on the top of her head.  
“Oh, and-” she started, and it sounded like she'd almost fall asleep.  
“Yes?”  
She took a few deep breaths, before she ended her sentence. “-you should finally look for a new girlfriend, dad.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I hope you liked the whole story, and the end wasn't this obviously.  
> Also 'Three Wishes for Cinderella' is the movie that's in TV all over Germany at Christmas, so I used it here, even if I don't know, how it is in America.  
> Well … merry x-Mas. Wish you a fantastic time, and thanks for reading this story :)


End file.
